I'll Always be Right There
by L. Jo
Summary: Severus meets a mysterious yet alluring woman.
1. Default Chapter

A/N: ok, its Snape and the new DADA teacher. nothing new. but i really tried to not make her a mary sue. i already wrote a story with one, and didn't get very positive feedback.   
i'm doin' what i can.  
  
Disclaimer: i own pink nailpolish, a denim skirt, and tennis shoes. I do not, however, own harry potter. jk something-or-other does.  
  
  
I'll Always be Right There  
  
Severus Snape was doing what he did best. Glowering.  
"I will not stand for this Albus. For the past 10 years I have been passed by for this job, and I don't appreciate being looked over year after year."  
"Severus, you know that you are the best Potions Master Hogwarts has seen in almost a century. Besides," Dumbledore said, smiling slightly, "I know  
how much you like sweeping around your dungeons."  
"Albus that is not a reason. I deserve better."  
"Severus, I have never seen a higher-qualified Potions Master. But, there are numerous people with far mor Dark Arts expirience then you."  
"More than me? Short of Voldemort, I don't know who you could be talking about."  
Dumbledore just smiled his enigmatic smile that he was known for. The smile that meant he knew much more than he was saying, but would never tell. "Fine,"  
Snape said angrily. "I'll see you at dinner, Albus." And he stormed down to the dungeons. Pouring himself a glass of brandy, and sitting in his well-worn leather  
chair, Snape contemplated the Headmaster. Never, in all his life, had he been more frustrated about not getting the Defense Against the Dark Arts position.   
He wasn't sure why, but he felt that this was his year. 'Then again,' he thought wryly to himself, taking a sip of his drink, 'I've thought every year was my  
year.' Sighing deeply, Snape settled back into his chair and stared into the dancing flames. Sometimes, he didn't even know why he bothered.  
  
  
Morgaine Lephay walked briskly to the Headmaster's office. Dumbledore had given her the password, but she couldn't remember it. She was already late, lost,  
and undoubtedly headed for disaster. Finally she reached the stone gargoyle Dumbledore had spent at least a half-an-hour describing. There she stood,  
trying desperately to remember. "Cotton candy?" she tried pitifully. Nothing. "Oh, please," she muttered. "Chocolate?" The gargoyle's stone eyes just   
glared back. "Damnit, you stupid sculpture, if you don't open for me right now, I will shove this-" she held up the bag of Skittles she happen to have  
in her robes pocket, "bag of Skittles so far up your stony-" the sculpture sprung open. "Thank you," she said, and walked up the spiriling staircase.  
"Proffessor Dumbledore?"  
"Ah, Morgaine, I am so happy you were able to arrive this evening. I heard there was a storm coming in, and I was worried because you flew, correct?"  
"I did, Proffessor," she said, holding up her broomstick. "Luckily, it hasn't started raining."  
"Very lucky indeed. Well, Morgaine, follow me, and I will show you your rooms."   
Morgaine stood, and let the older wizard lead her all around, up and down curving staircases, past a few doors who begged to be tickled, to a large painting   
of a calm lake with an island. Morgaine had to smile at that. "How appropriate, Albus."  
Dumbledore seemed proud of himself. "I knew it would please you. Perhaps it will keep you from being homesick.  
"Perhaps. Thank you, Albus, for everything. I'll call if I need anything."  
"Of course, my dear. Dinner is at 7:00, and I must implore you to be ontime. You need to meet your new collegues."  
  
  
"Where is this girl, Albus," Minerva McGonagall asked. "I would like to begin dinner soon. Did you tell her when it was?"  
"Minerva, you are much too impatient," Professor Flitwick said. "It's hard to get around this castle. And Ms. Lephay has   
lived on Avalon for her entire life, and, well, priestesses can be a little- misty." Flitwick cracked up at his own joke.   
"Understand, Minerva? Misty- Avalon, it's in the mist-"  
"Yes, Fillius, I think we all got it," Minerva said peevishly.  
Snape rolled his eyes. Fillius Flitwick somehow managed to tell the worst jokes in the etire world. But Flitwick was right about one thing. Priestesses of Avalon  
did tend to forget things. Why Albus had chosen to hire one for one of the most important jobs was beyond him. Suddenly, the door that led into the hall banged   
open. Snape looked as a tall woman entered the hall. She had long black hair that reached her waist, and didn't appear to walk, but floated over the floor.  
She wasn't very pretty, but had a natural grace. "So sorry I'm late," she said, her voice flowing like water. "I got lost." Flitwick smirked, and poked Minerva.  
"No need to apoligize, my dear," Dumbledore said. "Take your seat." He gestured to the one between Snape and Hooch.  
"So tell us a bit about yourself," Minerva said. "We've all been dying to hear about you."  
Morgaine smiled sheepishly. "Well, I'm descended from the royal line of Avalon, and I've lived there my entire life. I was schooled there, but I specialized in the  
Black Arts." Most of the staff looked shocked. "I didn't use it for evil," she explained quickly. "I simply found them alluring. And in Avalon, there is no evil. Only  
those who know about the Black Arts, and those who don't. Anyhow, I had essentially learned every curse and counter curse-"  
"That's impossible!" Snape shouted unexpectedly. "You expect me to believe that you learned every curse and counter curse? That would take a lifetime! Albus, you  
have hired a liar."  
"How quick you are to judge, Severus," she said in her mellow, slow voice. "You forget that time runs differently on Avalon. I am well over a hundred years old."  
  
  
  
A/N: How was it? good? mediocre? should i shoot myself for writing it? i may sound desperate, but i need feedback! 


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Chapter 2-- aren't you just thrilled?  
  
"I haven't forgotten, Ms. Lephay. I just didn't think you had the mental capacity to absorb such a great amount of information."  
"You don't believe me. I don't know why I'm surprised. Well, Proffessor, curse me. Oh, lets go crazy. Use one of the Unforgivables." Morgaine's brown eyes were narrowed,  
and boring into Snape.   
Dumbledore chose to intervene. "Proffessors, I don't believe this is a very good idea. Maybe we should wait for a more opprotune time for Ms. Lephay-" Dumbledore smiled  
indulgently at Morgaine-- "to prove her magical prowess."  
"No, Albus. I think now is a very good time. That is, of course, if Proffessor Snape is brave enough to try." enough." Morgaine smirked coldly at Snape.  
"I don't want to hurt you, Ms. Lephay. I don't make it a habit of attacking teachers, especially teachers who only manage to stay around for a year. And sometimes," he  
said, looking at Morgaine disdainfully. "Even less."  
Morgaine raised her eyebrow. Now, almost the entire staff had moved away, simply watching, and waiting for something to happen. "Come on then, Proffessor. As an ex-Death  
Eater I'm sure you know LOTS of curses. Torturing countless muggles, helpless muggle-borns- you never stopped to think about what you did to them. And they couldn't  
even defend themselves. To coin a Muggle phrase," Morgaine said, a twinkle in her eye, "bring it."  
Snape was angry. More angry than he had been in a long time. Angry enough to, without even thinking, raise his wand and whisper, "Crucio." The red light shot out of his  
wand, and headed straight for Morgaine's chest.   
She held up a hand. The beam of light hung in the air. "Crutacious," Morgaine said, studying the red light. "Not very creative, but it will do." Morgaine curled her fingers  
around the beam of light, murmered, "Asucrucio," and the entire staff watched in amazement as the beam strengthened for a moment, then slowly diffused.  
The entire staff smiled and looked on in admiration, Dumbledore was smiling and nodding, as if this display had proven him, once and for all, not a brilliant crack-pot, but  
simply brilliant. Snape narrowed his eyes. "Impressive. Something that I learned in my seventh year. Congratulations on being able to perform simple counter-curses."  
Minerva McGonanagall's eyebrow raised, and she was obviously ready to point out his blatant lie. However, Snape was already gone.  
  
  
"I'm truly sorry about Severus," Minerva said, after having been chosen to help Morgaine to her rooms.   
"No problem Minerva. I provoked him. And I was able to prove myself to the rest of the staff who seemed rather-- skeptical of my knowledge."  
Minerva looked slightly abashed. "You must understand, Morgaine. Its been a long time since we've had a priestess of Avalon here to teach. And- well," Minerva searched for a delicate  
way to put it- "they aren't known for their brillance. Mostly for their Divination abilities. We've never had one to teach a regular class, let alone Defense against the Dark Arts."  
"Don't think I'm up to it, Minnie?" Morgaine was always quick to anger whenever her abilities were called into question. Everyone always assumed that priestesses of Avalon were silly  
women with their heads in the clouds. Sure, her memory wasn't great, but she was smart and had been studying for almost a century.   
Minerva looked put out. "It's Minverva, and of course I do. But- we weren't sure."  
"Well, I assure you, I know enough to teach a class. And if you'll excuse me," Morgaine looked at Minerva coldly, "I'll be going to bed now."  
"Of-- of course." Minerva turned and walked down the hall, leaving Morgaine the way she liked to be. Alone.  
  
Snape angrily banged around in his office. He wasn't really doing anything, just opening drawers so he could shut them angrily, picking up indgredients, and slamming them down again,   
complaining about their color to no one but himself. Had school been in session, he would of strode around the hallways, taking obscenely high amounts of house points just because he  
could. This was Severus Snape angry. He didn't even know why he was. That woman had pushed the right buttons, he supposed, and he wasn't used to people doing that. He liked to think he  
was to complex to figure out, but those damn priestesses always managed to figure everything out. He slammed a large potions tome down, and went to his tea kettle. He rattled that around   
sufficently before actually beginning to make tea. "Temper Severus. It always did get you in trouble."  
Snape sneered up at Dumbeldore. "Albus, I dislike being rude to you, but please leave me the hell alone."  
"You left awfully fast, and we were concerned." Dumbledore put an hand on Snape's shoulder. "I know Ms. Lephay said some things that she shouldn't have, and I plan on talking to her about  
it."  
"Don't bother, Albus," Snape said, sighing. He poured a 2 cups of tea, and handed one to Dumbldore. "I don't need you to fight my battles for me. I'll deal with her in my own way."  
"If you mean by being sarcastic and cruel at anytime possible, I believe that that will only provoke her." Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling.  
"Albus, I'm tired. I'd like to go to bed now."  
Dumbledore smiled all-knowingly and set down his tea cup on Snape's desk. "Goodnight then, Severus."  
Snape let out a small growl of frustration. That man was infuriating! But never mind that. Snape was just happy to be alone.  
  
The next two weeks passed without incident. All the teachers had been thrown into speedy preperations for the school year, which they had neglected to think about. Morgaine had barely even  
remembered she was a teacher. All the activity managed to keep Snape and Morgaine away from eachother. Morgaine had already forgotten the incident in the Dining hall, but Snape was still   
seething about it. He never let go of anger. Finally, the 1st day of school arrived. Morgaine was just stepping out of her rooms when Snape came up the stairs, black robes billowing. Morgaine  
purposely stepped out right in front of him. He realized she was directly in front of him too late, and ran right into her. "Ms. Lephay, can't you watch out where you're going?"  
"I'm sorry, Severus. I didn't see you." Morgaine smiled innocently, and dusted off her white satin robes.  
Snape sneered and continued passed. Morgaine laughed to herself. And she thought teaching was going to be boring.  
  
  
"I'd like to introduce you all to your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher Morgaine-" Dumbeldore stopped and looked down the high table. The seat next to Snape was empty. "Oh dear,"  
Dumbledore said quietly. "Well, when she gets here, I'll introduce you. As for the feast," Dumbledore smiled when the entire student body groaned. "It may begin." Applause echoed through the  
hall as food filled the tables.   
The students were just beginning dessert when a lound banging noise echoed through the hall. All the students looked to see Morgaine enter the hall.  
"There she is," Dumbledore said. "Students, here is your new Defense teacher, Morgaine Lephay. She is a priestess of Avalon, and-" Dumbledore added, seeing some of the students snickering,   
"is to be respected as any other teacher."   
Morgaine had finally reached the high table. "Thank you. I look forward to teaching you all," she said, her pale cheeks flushed. She hurried to her seat, and sat down.  
"Get lost again, Ms. Lephay?" Snape said, his silky voice low and teasing.  
"No," Morgaine said irritably. "I got into a lovely conversation with one of your suits of armor. Seems his owner used to serve at the Round Table, and was very close to my great grandmother. I  
simply lost track of time."  
Snape smirked coldly. "I know how hard it can be for priestesses to keep their heads out of the clouds."  
Morgaine's face darkened as she turned to face Snape. "I suggest, Severus, you think before you say anything like that again. You may think that all us priestesses don't know what the hell they're  
doing half the time, but you're sorely mistaken. I'm smart, and I know more things then you could ever even begin to fathom knowing. I also know ways to slowly, surreptiously, and painfully   
torture someone until they're within an inch of their life. So be careful." Morgaine turned to the piece of cherry pie she had in front of herself. "Albus, this pie is to DIE for," she said   
cheerfully. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Snape look at the forkful of pie he had, and set it down on his plate. Morgaine allowed herself a sly smile. Things were definately getting more  
interesting. 


End file.
